Trivia night Monday at MAIZ Mexican Cantina in Ypsilanti for Sporcle Live with Nate proved to be one of the strangest nights of trivia ever. I walked into the place with just the barhop point on my mind, as well as some other annoying things – like not being able to use my debit card until I get a new one in the mail. Someone apparently tried to use it fraudulently at a fast-food joint, which to me, is a wake-up call to give up fast food! Take that, Wendy’s! So a night where I won just enough prize money to cover my drinks? That would be something mentioned in those old Master Card commercials talking about things that are priceless. Sweet! Through a strange set of circumstances, I managed to win a first place/$15 gift card in game one. I’m still not exactly sure how it happened. I walked into the place expecting nothing less than a good trivia battle, which I knew from playing here in a previous season. Little Lebowski Urban Achievers tend to hold the venue leader spot here quite a bit (even recently won some cash in the regional tournament), and some other good teams, including Tequila Mockingbird and Velvet Phobias. I wound up finishing in fourth for the night with 55 points. Low scoring game all around, even for the heavy-hitters. And let’s take a look at some of those tough questions, shall we?
Game One
1. Inventions – What late 19th Century invention was necessary for the invention of SOS soap pads and Brillo pads? Incorrectly thought of something these items are commonly used to clean, miss for 3.
2. Sitcoms – What ’90s NBC sitcom is primarily set in a small airport in Nantucket? 10
3. ’80s Movies – What Academy Award-winning actor played the title role in “The World According to Garp?” 9
4. Bodies of Water – What large body of water separates the Mexican mainland from the second longest peninsula in the world? Nope, miss for 2.
5. Football Firsts – In what year did NBC become the first major TV network to televise an NFL game? 1929, 1939, 1949, or 1959? Nope, another miss.
6. Censored Songs – “Forget You” is the “clean” title to the clean version of what artist’s 2010 song? I had no idea, so I wrote “No f—ing clue, censorship sucks.” Interestingly enough, as I write this recap, the film “Casino” is on TV, which has lots of edited swears. Which I hate. I would rather have them bleeped than changed. “Freak you, Sam Rothstein?” Just no….yeah I missed this for 4. Not looking good so far!
7. Books – Name one of the two books written by radio personality Howard Stern, one of which was adapted into a ’90s movie. Name both for “nerd” point.  Nobody in the bar got both books. Got this for 7, no extra point.
8. Weather – What is the 10-letter word for a tornado cloud that forms over water? I must, I must, I must remember this word! I have missed this on two different trivia nights when Mike has not been there. Missed this for 8. I thought my guess was pretty good, though! 😦
9. Directors – The most recent woman to to win an Academy Award nomination for best director also directed what film that won Best Picture? This is how the question was initially worded to the masses, but should have asked for the woman’s name instead. This was not made clear until at least half of the teams had already handed in their slips. Thankfully I knew both parts to this question! Got this for 6.
10. Wars – The Hampton Roads Peace Conference discussed terms for ending what major war? Again, could have used some help from Brad or Mike here, miss for 5. At least I picked the right country!
Mystery: Before and After
1. Three initials of the oldest state supported military college in the United States and 2004 Sci-Fi film starring Will Smith.
2. Hit song by Seal featured in “Batman Forever” and comedian who was once married to Tom Arnold
3. Peanuts character who wears a green striped shirt and Sean Astin’s mother’s name
4. Nickname of Julius Irving and author of Catcher in the Rye.
Missed #1, but was so, so close….only missed the first initial.
Standings: Fourteen teams, scores 25 to 58, with Little Lebowski Urban Achievers in the top spot, with Alternating Current right behind them. I was in seventh with 45, playing under the name There are Lots of Rare Pokemons at the Bottom of my Jumbo Margarita. I wasn’t actually drinking a jumbo margarita, I just thought it would sound funnier than “Vitamin C cocktail.”
Final Category: Recent Music
As of 7/14/16, only three bands or artists have topped the Billboard 200 Albums chart for more than one week in 2016.
Name one of those three bands or artists.
I wagered zero on this because…recent music and I just don’t get along. Any elaboration on this point will just make me sound old, but it’s all autotuned crap imho. Except sometimes Bruno Mars is tolerable…ugh. I wrote down one “current music” artist I particularly can’t stand, figuring it “must be them.” And I figured someone else in the bar would get it, better luck next game, yada yada. Then the host says only one team managed to get the question correct, and named the person I had written down on the slip. Wait, what? That can’t be right! And then he says “In first place, “‘There’s a Rare Pokemon at the Bottom of my Jumbo Margarita,'” and says the second place teams have to battle out a tiebreaker. Which I did not write down (sorry). Needless to say I was shocked! Woot? Get the question correct, wager nothing on it and win money? All righty! I guess I’ll stick around for game two! About that…
Game Two
1. Numbers – How many different numbers are used in Roman numerals. I really, really tried, but nope, Needed Mike for this! Miss for 3.
2. Ballads -What 1976 ballad by the hard rock band Kiss is their highest charting single to date? Mike used to have a girlfriend in high school who shares a name with this song. For nerd bonus, what member of Kiss wrote/sang this song? Kidding, this was NOT a nerd point opportunity in this game, but I’m curious if anyone reading this will know! Chime in the comments if you do…got this for 10.
3. Companies – The company originally called Behr (sp? could not confirm with google) Isaac & co. is best known for measuring what consumer credit risk? Nope, miss for 2.
4. NBA Trades – In 1993, who was the first overall draft pick by the Orlando Magic, who was immediately traded to the Golden State Warriors? Hint: He was part of the “Fab Five.” Fab Five? Fab Five Freddy? Yeah, thanks for the hint, but didn’t help me (dumbass). I heard someone mutter that he was a U of M player, so I wondered if it was “that dude who slept with Sarah Palin.” Nope, it was not him, but couldn’t come up with his name anyway. Miss for 1.
5. Fruit – In the U.S., Lisbon and Eureka are the most commonly sold varieties of what fruit? Nope miss for 4.
6. Universities – In what U.S. state would you find Clemson, Lawford College, and Furman (sp?) College? I tried so, so hard…but nope, miss for 5.
7. Movie Titles – What flowering plant name is in the title of both a 1989 Sally Field film and a 1999 Tom Cruise film? Finally some POINTS ! Got this for 9.
8. Baby Animals – What is the four-letter name for a baby marsupial? For nerd point, what is the name of the closest living relative to a koala? Got this for the points and the bonus for 8.
9. Christmas Songs (audio) – Audio clue of someone who has headed both a hard rock and rock band singing some depressing Christmas carol. Nobody in the bar got this. When I learned who the singer was, I immediately wondered if he was high while singing it. Miss for 6.
10. TV Families – What TV family lives in a mansion at 0001 Cemetery Lane? Torn between two, picked the wrong one. Needed Brad again here! Miss for 7. Yikes…
Mystery: http://www.sporcle.com/blog/visual/prom718/ Only managed to get #1. Tough!
Standings: Eleven teams, with scores ranging from 30 (yessir, that’s me!), to 61, with Shooting for Penultimate in first.
Final Category: Internet Security (and this is where Mike showed up to try to help me out)
Other than “password”, name one of the three most common passwords used for cloud-based services that do NOT contain numbers, according to Sky High Networks.
Hint given to us: One of the words is commonly used in Disney, another is a common sports term, and the other is a common computer term. Only a couple of teams managed to get it, Alternating Currents (65), and Shooting for Penultimate (81).
Until next time, which will be The Heidelberg tonight. Go Pods!